1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to zipper repair tools and particularly to hand-held, pliers-like zipper repair tool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Zippers have been used for well over 100 years. A typical zipper has a pair of strips that have teeth that are interlocked together in a guide as the guide passes over the teeth. The guide has a pair of grooves in which the teeth segments slide to facilitate interlocking. If the guide is damaged, the zipper will not work. Guides can be damaged, or if either side of the zipper guide is not symmetrical in relation to the other side, the zipper teeth will not properly mesh to ensure proper closure. For example, if the grooves are compressed to where the teeth can no longer enter the grooves, the zipper will not work. The more prevalent problem, however, is when the grooves are spread or distorted so that the teeth are no longer held in proper alignment within the grooves. Often, people may try to close the grooves using a tool like pliers to push the grooves closed. The problem with this approach is that it gives the user no control over the adjustment of the groove in relation to each other. It is easy to squeeze the groove too much on one side and thus completely distort the guide assembly. If the grooves are compressed too much, they must be opened again by prying them apart. Often this is done using a screwdriver or a similar tool. As before, there is no control on how much the grooves will be opened. Moreover, excessive force can cause the grooves to break. Finally, there is no simple way to ensure that the grooves are symmetrical and uniform using this technique. Thus, the job becomes a frustrating exercise in futility.